Obama recalls 2016 speech during book tour condemning Trump

Michelle Obama said she felt anxious before giving her emotional New Hampshire speech in 2016 condemning President Donald Trump for bragging about sexually assaulting a woman in a recording more than a decade ago.

The former First Lady recalled that she needed to address Trump's comments on the infamous 2005 "Hollywood Access" tape while sitting on stage with "black-ish" actor Tracee Ellis Ross at The Forum near Los Angeles on Thursday night. She made her second stop to promote her best-selling book "Becoming," which released this week.

"When I'm telling the truth, I'm not afraid," Obama said. "I was anxious about giving it. I know how I feel, and what I wanted to do at that time was take women to that place where we know how we feel when we are demeaned. We have all experienced that at some point in time. Women don't have the platform to say it out loud."

Former first lady Michelle Obama, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross speak at the "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" event at the Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Obama never mentioned Trump's name, but said she "hated bullies." She told a sold-out crowd that she wrote the outline of the speech while sitting in a waiting room as her mother was having back surgery.

Obama ended up giving the speech during a campaign trail in support of Hillary Clinton.

"I don't know if men really understand what we bare as women," she said. "The sad thing is that women aren't safe in this world. We are at-risk to be cut all the time. I wanted to bring voice to women who know what that feels like. You're just putting up with some man's voice saying some stuff that is inappropriate and out of line, and they think it's a joke. It has a lasting impact. ... You have the power to vote against it."

Former first lady Michelle Obama, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross speak at the "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" event at the Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Obama said she was ready to give the speech, adding "I really didn't care. It was also second term. I was like 'I'm done with caring what people think.' It's time to put some truth out there."

Obama entered the stage to Alicia Key's "Girl on Fire" in her second stop of her 12-stop arena book tour. She kicked her tour off in a talk with Oprah Winfrey in Chicago.

Ten percent of ticket costs are being donated to local charities, schools and community groups.

Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks at the "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" event at the Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Much of the 90-minute conversation between Obama and Ross was filled with laughter. They talked about Obama having a panic attack, getting marriage counseling and joked about her husband-former President Barack Obama's walk being "sexy" but annoyingly slow sometimes.

In the book, Obama said she mentions a time when she had a fist fight with a girl while growing up on Chicago's South Side.

"You did? A physical fight?" Ross asked.

Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks at the "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" event at the Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

"Yeah, I talk about it in the book. What other kind of fight — you see, this is Tracee. 'A physical fight. With your hands," Obama replied.

Obama added: "Those are the only fights you had on the south side. What? You thought people were debating? No, girl. We were throwing down — like, kickin'."

The former First Lady's husband, daughters, mother and brother gave their impressions of her maturation a video montage. Her mom talked about how her daughter initially disliked politics and Barack said he showed up to their first date late.

Tracee Ellis Ross introduces former first lady Michelle Obama at the "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" event at the Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Earlier Thursday, Obama made a surprise visit to an early education center located in Skid Row in the downtown Los Angeles. She spent time reading with a group of four-year-old children from an underserved area of the city.

Tracee Ellis Ross introduces Michelle Obama at the "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" event at the Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Former first lady Michelle Obama, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross speak at the "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" event at the Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks at the "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" event at the Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Tracee Ellis Ross, left, introduces former first lady Michelle Obama at the "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" event at the Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Former first lady Michelle Obama reads a book to school children during a surprise appearance at Para Los Niños on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks with a school girl during a surprise appearance at Para Los Niños on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Former first lady Michelle Obama reads a book to school children during a surprise appearance at Para Los Niños on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Former first lady Michelle Obama reads a book to school children during a surprise appearance at Para Los Niños on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Former first lady Michelle Obama reads a book to school kids during a surprise appearance at Para Los Niños on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

Former first lady Michelle Obama reads a book to school kids during a surprise appearance at Para Los Niños on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy SanjuanInvisionAP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on hundreds of companies and people tied to Russia's weapons development program, more than a dozen Chinese entities accused of helping Moscow find workarounds to earlier penalties, and individuals linked to the death of Kremlin opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The actions by the departments of Treasury and State target Russia’s military-industrial base, chemical weapons programs and people and companies in third countries that help Russia acquire weapons components as its invasion of Ukraine has entered its third year.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the action “will further disrupt and degrade Russia’s war efforts by going after its military industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it.”

The Senate, meanwhile, gave final approval to legislation barring imports of Russian uranium, boosting U.S. efforts to disrupt Russia’s war in Ukraine. Democratic President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law.

About 12% of the uranium used to produce electricity at U.S. nuclear power plants is imported from Russia, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council said Wednesday that Biden shares lawmakers’ concerns about U.S. reliance on Russia for low-enriched uranium to support its domestic nuclear fleet.

Included in the administration's announcement are importers of cotton cellulose and nitrocellulose, which are used to produce gunpowder, rocket propellants and other explosives. The penalties also target Russian government entities and people tied to Russia's chemical and biological weapons programs, companies related to Russia's natural gas construction projects and three workers at the penal colony where Navalny died.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has railed against earlier rounds of U.S. and Western penalties, claiming they are “illegitimate sanctions” on his country.

A group of 16 targets in China and Hong Kong, most of which are related to Russian procurement workarounds, are named by the Biden administration.

Yellen traveled to Guangzhou and Beijing last month to warn Chinese officials that they “must not provide material support for Russia’s war and that they will face significant consequences if they do."

China has said it is not providing Russia with arms or military assistance, although Beijing has maintained robust economic connections with Moscow, alongside India and other countries, as the West imposes sanctions.

Companies in China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates were accused of helping Russia acquire technology and equipment from abroad. The penalties aim to block them from using the U.S. financial system and bar American citizens from dealing with them.

Biden last week said he would immediately rush badly needed weaponry to Ukraine as he signed into law a $95 billion war aid measure that also included assistance for Israel, Taiwan and other global hot spots.

The upcoming uranium ban is also expected to impact Russian revenues by at least $1 billion. The U.S. banned Russian oil imports after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022 but did not against uranium, despite frequent calls to do so by U.S. lawmakers in both parties.

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, called the import ban “a tremendous victory” and said it “will help defund Russia’s war machine, revive American uranium production and jumpstart investments in America’s nuclear fuel supply chain.″

“Wyoming has the uranium to replace Russian imports, and we’re ready to use it,″ Barrasso added.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat who heads that Senate committee, said it was "unconscionable” for the U.S. to help make it possible for Putin to “finance his unlawful war against Ukraine” through U.S. reliance on Russian uranium.

Besides the import ban, the legislation frees up $2.7 billion in previously authorized funding to ramp up domestic uranium production.

FILE- This June 6, 2019, file photo shows the U.S. Treasury Department building at dusk in Washington. The United States has imposed new sanctions on hundreds of firms and people tied to Russia’s weapons development program, more than a dozen Chinese firms accused of helping Russia find workarounds to sanctions and individuals tied to the death of Russian dissident Alexey Navalny. The sanctions imposed Wednesday by the Treasury and State departments target Russia’s military-industrial base, chemical weapons programs and people and firms in third countries that help Russia acquire weapons components as its invasion of Ukraine has entered its third year. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)